Performance of the fir coneworm Dioryctria abietivorella (Grote) as affected by host species and presence or absence of seed cones

• Published in: Agricultural and forest entomology Vol. 1; no. 3; pp. 189 - 194
• Main Authors: Trudel, R, Bauce, E, Guertin, C, Cabana, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.08.1999
• Subjects: biological development; body weight; Dioryctria abietivorella; fir coneworm; growth; host plant; host plants; larvae; larval performance; mortality; Picea glauca; Picea mariana; Pinus banksiana; plant pests; Pyralidae; seed cone; seed cones; seed orchard; seed orchards; Quebec
• ISSN: 1461-9555; 1461-9563
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1461-9563.1999.00028.x

1 Larval performance of Dioryctria abietivorella (Grote) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was compared when insects were reared in white spruce, black spruce and Jack pine seed orchards. For each species, half of the insects developed in the presence of cones, while the other half was maintained on branches without cones. 2 Significantly faster development rates were observed on spruce species when compared to Jack pine. Significant differences in survival were also recorded between the different feeding treatments. 3 The presence of seed cones on spruce species significantly increased insect mean weight compared with branches without cones, but no significant differences were noticed between the different tree species with cones. 4 White spruce is the most suitable host tree for fir coneworm feeding and the availability of seed cones plays an important role in determining D. abietivorella larval performance.